Armed Baluch groups intensified the Baluch insurgency in Iran with 18 attacks in the 18 days to October 10, increasing pressure on security forces in the southeast.
The rights group HRANA reported that between March 31 and October 10, there were at least 63 armed incidents in Sistan and Baluchestan, as well as in the neighbouring Kerman province. During this time, they documented a minimum of 94 deaths and 33 injuries. These incidents included coordinated ambushes, roadside bombings, and the use of heavier weapons.
In December 2025, several Baluch armed organisations formed a coalition called the People’s Fighters Front. This coalition includes Jaish al-Adl, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by both Iran and the United States.
The front has increasingly framed its objective as ending the Islamic Republic’s rule rather than seeking concessions for the Baluch. Iran’s security forces are already under pressure from the country’s war with the United States and Israel.
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Sistan and Baluchestan is home to a mostly Sunni Baluch population and ranks among Iran’s poorest provinces. Residents face limited access to jobs, schools, clinics and other basic services.
The insurgency remains geographically concentrated. The coalition has not shown that it can seize and hold territory or threaten Tehran’s control of the country.
Read More: Iran Violence: Rights Group Records at Least 94 Deaths
Across the border, Baluch armed groups in Pakistan differ substantially from their Iranian counterparts in ideology and aims, making a unified cross-border movement unlikely under current conditions.
